The Leviathan Imprint
by A2Wolverine
Summary: Aleina knows that being the daughter of Commander Shepard isn't easy. All she wants is to have what other high school students take for granted: a normal family with normal high school problems. But unbeknownst to her, dark forces gather, looking to sweep her up in a conspiracy that threatens the fragile galactic peace.
1. Afterschool Brawl

**Chapter 1: Afterschool Brawl**

As she walked down the halls of her high school, Aleina Shepard could not help but notice the eyes of the other students fixated on her. Even if they tried to avoid her look, she knew they would be watching her. As she approached her locker, two other students who had been conversing suddenly fell hushed, taking notice of her presence.

Aleina pretended not to notice, stuffing her things into an already crammed locker. _Don't you have anything better to look at? Or are your lives that uninteresting? _In truth, she was used to this kind of treatment ever since she was little. Kids would be awed and curious when around her. She was in her final year of high school, though things had always been the same. But that's what you get when you are the Asari daughter of the _legendary_ Commander Shepard and Dr. Liara T'Soni. She was the daughter of the man who save d the galaxy not once but three times, and all too often she would be reminded of this by onlookers and pedestrians. The fact that Commander Shepard was given a position on the Citadel Council didn't help matters either. Aleina could have cared less about politics, but that didn't stop all these dignitaries and lobbyists from being overly friendly to her family. There was always a fakeness about these people and their attempts to gain political favor. And that just made it all the more annoying.

Aleina's train of thought was interrupted by her friend Jenny spotting her across the hall. "Hey Aleina! Going to lunch?" Jenny shouted.

"Yeah yeah, sure, but I'm not looking forward to the swill of the day they're serving in the cafeteria". You'd think _The_ Citadel Intersystems Studies High School could afford to serve some better food.

"Oh, don't be so gloomy all the time," Jenny responded. "I hear they're serving Presidium fish today!"

"I thought there wasn't any fish in the Presidium."

"Ha, probably not, but I don't care where they come from. They'll still taste better than that leathery Varren meat they tried to serve us yesterday," Jenny grinned. Aleina chuckled as well. Seeing Jenny always cheered her up. Jenny was the daughter of a human banker who worked in the Citadel financial district. Even though their family was very well off, Jenny was very humble and modest_. You're one of the few genuine people here on the Citadel_, Aleina thought. Even when they were little, Jenny was always more interested in her than her father. It made getting along with her very easy. While others saw Aleina for her name, Jenny was truly one of those that saw her as a person.

As the two headed towards the cafeteria, Aleina bumped into someone heading the other direction. "Hey, watch it" Aleina broke out, but before she could continue, she saw who had just bumped into her and felt her stomach turn. The student was Kerr, followed by his two friends, Torra and Ghorak. All three of them were batarian. The batarians were given many concessions after the Reaper War for the destruction of their home system as well as the Bahak, and many high ranking officials in the Hegemony took advantage of this to move to the Citadel, much to the dismay of the other races.

"Well well, what do we have here?" Kerr taunted as he picked Aleina up by her shirt. She quickly swatted his hand away, glaring at the batarian.

All three were in the same year as Aleina, and had been on her case all throughout school. The three were notoriously vicious throughout the school, especially Kerr. Aleina had even suspected that the other two were even afraid of Kerr, and deferred to him as an unofficial leader of their little "gang".

"If it isn't the murderous bitch and her human lapdog," mocked Torra.

"What the hell do you want?" Aleina angrily responded.

"You should be careful when you're walking," Kerr said, slightly grinning. "You might have an _accident_."

"Is that so?"

"Hey, cmon," Jenny tried to restrain her friend. "They're not worth it." A crowd of students now gathered around the confrontation, excitingly anticipating a fight.

"Of course you won't fight me," Kerr amusingly mocked. "I'm sure you'll just have your bastard father do it for you. His hands are already bloodstained, no need to get your pretty little hands dirty."

Aleina usually withstood their taunts; she had been their target of abuse for years. But something in her snapped today. Her biotics flared up, and a blue aura began to appear around her.

"Why don't you go home, Kerr? No one wants you around in this school anyways," Aleina was on the verge of lashing out at the Batarian. "Oh wait, you can't , because your home planet got _blown up_."

She saw Kerr's four eyes twitch ever so slightly at her remark. He had never been to Aratoht, but his parents were from there and were fortunate enough to have left the planet before Shepard rolled through. Ghorak screamed some obscenity she didn't hear and lunged out at her, but Kerr restrained his friend, his deadly calm returning to him.

"Careful, friend," Kerr calmly said as he held Ghorak back. "Too many eyes on us. We'll deal with this one later." With that, the three batarians walked away.

"Are you alright?" a concerned Jenny asked her friend, but Aleina was irate. She stormed off towards the exit to the school's front grounds. "Hey, where are you going?!" Aleina ignored her friend's call, however, and continued on. A deep anger drove her on, and she remained completely oblivious to her surroundings. Near the exit, a human boy spoke to her.

"Hey, I saw what happened," the boy said. "Are you alr-"

"Not your problem!" Aleina interrupted without so much as a glance, and exited the school building.

Aleina walked across the school grounds and eventually laid down beside a tall tree native to Sur'Kesh. _I've had enough of this! None of this has anything to do with me, but rather my stupid family name. _As she laid in the shade of the tree, she wondered how things would be better if she had never been born to her family. What it must be like, she wondered, to just be a normal girl living a boring, ordinary life? She closed her eyes, drifting into a daydream. _No, that's not true. I love my father, my sister, even my mom, who I never even see._ She wanted to punch herself for even considering such thoughts. Even then, living an anonymous life didn't' sound too bad.

Time passed as the fake Presidium clouds moved across the sky. Aleina was so caught up in her own thoughts she didn't even notice the school bell letting the students out. She was a bit surprised that none of the teachers came after her. _Hell, even they are intimidated by my last name_. _Guess that's one perk of being a Shepard._

She continued fiddling in her thoughts when a boy approached her. "I thought I'd find you out here. You weren't in 4th period."

Aleina looked up and saw that it was the same human boy she had bumped into when she was exiting the school. She hadn't noticed him before, but now she knew who he was. His name is Marcus, the son of some Alliance Admiral, or something like that. He was in several of her classes, though they had never really talked all that much.

"Why'd you come look for me?"

"Just concerned about a classmante is all," Marcus responded.

"Oh, it's okay, I've dealt with those three clowns before."

"Still, I'm sure they're just as much a pain in the ass as the first time."

The two laughed. It was true though, Aleina had been on the verge of clashing with the three batarians multiple times. Common sense told her to hold back those other times, though she feared if it happened any more, that department would soon be gone. As she got up, however, she saw the three batarians approaching them. _Speak of the devil._

Kerr stepped up to her, Torra and Ghorek behind him. He took out a knife from his pocket and pointed it at Aleina's head.

"You didn't think we'd let you get away with mocking the memories of Aratoht, did you?" Kerr's four eyes glared at her. "It's good that you always have a human pet with you, cause that just makes it easier to justify gutting you."

Marcus stood ready. "Maybe we should leave."

"Nah, it's fine," Aleina replied, standing ready and flaring her biotics. "I've been in a pissy mood all day, maybe bashing these three's skulls in is the medicine I need!" Her biotics were quite advanced for her age, and she had no doubt she could beat them in a straight up fight.

Kerr lunged at her with his knife, but Aleina threw him back with a powerful biotic force, knocking him on the ground. Ghorek and Torra charged forward, but Aleina gracefully danced around their punches. _They move pretty slow, _Aleina remarked to herself. _All strength with no finesse. _Marcus tackled Torra and wrestled him to the ground, while Aleina swept Ghorek up in a biotic field. She then threw him into the tree with such force that several branches fell to the ground. _I didn't expect to throw him that hard! _Aleina thought, both surprised and impressed. The brief moment of reprieve didn't last long, however.

"Look out!" Marcus screamed, but at that moment Torra reversed his hold and pinned Marcus to the ground. Aleina barely had time to realize what Marcus was talking about when she saw out the corner of her eye Kerr lunging at her once again with his knife. She jumped back, the knife grazing her shirt. She grabbed the hand that had the knife and knocked it away to the ground. Right at that instant, however, she realized her mistake. _Shit, I let him get too close!_

Before she could respond, Kerr threw a monstrous left hook that connected with her jaw. Aleina fell back and hit the ground hard. Dazed from the hit, she tried to get back up when suddenly she found Kerr right on top of her, pinning her to the ground. He then unsheathed a hidden blade under his right sleeve and held it against her neck.

"Damn, how many knives do you have?" Aleina sarcastically asked as she struggled to move, pinned under Kerr's massive weight.

"I was saving this one just for you," Kerr said, a lethal smile on his face. "One cut for each life your bastard father stole from my planet."

Aleina looked around for possibilities to escape his hold. He was much stronger than she was and much heavier, and in her present state she could not biotically throw him off. But she noticed one of the branches that fell from the tree when Ghorek smashed against it.

"Sorry, that's not a good look for me," Aleina taunted, then with her mind she lifted one of the fallen branches and hurled it straight into one of Kerr's eyes. The batarian pulled back, screaming in pain, and Aleina took the chance to get up. With all her biotic strength, she threw Kerr right into Torra, and the two batarians solidly impacted the ground.

Marcus got up, shocked at what he just saw. "Where'd you learn to fight like that?"

Aleina shrugged. "My dad might have taught me a few things."

"What is going on here?"

Aleina turned and saw that the school groundskeeper had arrived. He was a massive krogan, but he had always been pretty nice to her at school. But this time he had a huge scowl on his face. Kerr saw the krogan and quickly sheathed his hidden blade while Ghorek and Torra slowly staggered back up to their feet. Despite their threatening demeanor from before, a look of fear appeared on their face.

"The five of you, come with me. This sort of behavior will not be tolerated!"

_Oh no, I'm not dealing with all the administrative bs again. _Aleina gave a wave and started to walk away.

"Where do you think you're going, young lady?" The groundskeeper roared.

"Sorry, big guy, I need to get home. I'm late."

Aleina didn't look back, though she could feel the stunned expressions on everyone's faces. _This was exactly the stress reliever I needed_, she smiled inwardly. _Besides, these teachers couldn't touch me. No one would dare do anything to her for fear of being reprimanded._

Guess that's another perk of being a Shepard.


	2. Old Friends

The red sun had just set behind the horizon, coloring the sky with an orange hue. The asari looked out the window atop her penthouse suite. Sunsets at Illium were always the most beautiful, she thought. It's too bad she wouldn't be around to enjoy them much longer. She heard the door behind her open, and a drell walked into the room. He walked up beside her and looked out the window, though his eyes lacked the same enthusiasm for the scenery before them.

"Felixia, it's been a long time," the drell said, his voice deep and unwavering. "I assume the reason you've called me over is because you think you've found the one."

"Yes, Viper, I'm sure of it," Felixia replied, not bothering to hide her smile. "It's been far too long of a wait."

"Your patience has always been your virtue, though I believe your faith is misplaced. I've scouted the child. She's good, but I've seen far better her age. Why not use one of them?"

"No, I'm certain she will be the key." She was not usually wrong. "I will be going to the Citadel soon, I trust that you will initiate things on your end."

Viper chuckled as he reached into his holster and pulled out his pistol, a custom made Paladin, marveling at its design.

"Is something funny?" Felixia asked.

Viper pointed the pistol at the window towards the setting sun. "It's just that you've had me hunt down soldiers, mercenaries, and even scientists before. But never a child."

"Ah, well she isn't an ordinary child," Felixia responded. "She is Shepard's daughter, after all."

* * *

Aleina arrived at her home, a luxury style Presidium apartment, only to be greeted by an all too familiar voice.

"Sis!"

Before Aleina could respond, a little blue asari tackled her to the ground. Aleina quickly lifted her sister into the air in a biotic field and spun her around.

"Ah stop! That always makes me dizzy!" her sister giggled.

Aleina laughed and dropped her sister on the couch. "You're in high school now, Aryn. Even if you are a first year. Stop being so immature."

"What, so I can be gloomy all the time like you? No thanks."

Their playful banter was interrupted when Shepard walked into the room. He was dressed in fine councilor robes. Even in his older age, Shepard still carried with him the presence he had when he was in the Alliance. That was what Aleina most appreciated about her father. He would speak, and people would listen; his words carried weight like none other. Even if Aleina disliked the attention their family received, she had to admit that this kind of influence was quite impressive.

"I got a call from school today," Shepard said sternly. "Care to explain what happened?"

Aleina tried to search for an explanation that would satisfy her father. "Three idiots tried to attack me. I fought back. It's what you would've done, right?"

"I didn't teach you to how to properly defend yourself just so you could start brawls at school," Shepard responded. The look he gave her was one she always hated. Stern disappointment, she calls it. "Unless your life is in danger, you should've walked away or found a teacher to deal with it."

Aleina rolled her eyes. She's been in this position before; it was just best not to argue her point any further, a situation where anything she said can _and will_ be used against her. "Whatever, you can ground me later. I'm gonna meet up with some friends at Zakera Ward."

"Not today," Shepard scolded, even more angry than before. _Maybe I should just shut up_, Aleina thought.

"There's an ambassadors dinner tonight at Century Tower. A lot of dignitaries are going to be there, and they expect the family to be there as well. So, no time for your escapades in the wards today."

"Ugh, you know I hate going to these," Aleina sighed and started to head towards her room. "It's just filled with ass kissing sycophants."

"Oh don't be grouchy," Aryn said. "You know, I hear uncle Garrus and Aunt Tali are gonna be there…"

Aleina stopped dead in her tracks.

"And that means your _boyfriend_ is gonna be there as well!"

"SHUT UP" Aleina screamed back. She should really keep her diary better hidden.

* * *

Century tower stood at a very nice location in the Presidium, overlooking the lake and even had a great view of the tower where the councilors met. Aleina sat down, wearing a stiff dress that her sister probably picked out to mock her. _Well, at least the view is nice. And the champagne is good. If I'm gonna be stuck here I might as well get sufficiently drunk._

She was on her 5th glass when Garrus and Tali entered. Garrus was now the new Executor and head of C-Sec, while Tali became official ambassador of the Quarians and worked full time on the Citadel. They entered with their adopted turian son, Terrik. He took after his father quite well. Tall, charismatic, and _of course_, he was in the same year as Aleina.

"Good to see you, Shepard." Tali said as she hugged her friend. "How's the council treating you?"

"Distasteful, as always." Shepard replied. "Why the hell did I let you guys convince me to take the position again?"

"Because Shepard, like they all said, no one else could have united the galaxy better than you did. You were _perfect_ for the job." Though Tali was still behind her mask, Shepard could see her taunting smile behind it.

"I can see why Anderson hated it so much. It's easier to keep the peace with guns and a ship than it does with words. Sometimes I wish I was still dealing with the Reapers than these politicians. At least they didn't try to _talk_ me to death."

The three friends each poured a glass of champagne and toasted. "Sometimes I think the same way," Garrus said. "I assume you've heard there was another protest in the wards?"

"Yeah, that makes three in the past month," Shepard said, looking out the window at the well lit skyscrapers. "Protesting the krogan expansion again."

"We knew it wasn't going to be easy," Garrus replied. "Something like this was bound to happen after we cured the genophage. The krogan need more planets, and the other races are _not_ happy about that."

"Yeah, not to mention that the main victims have been volus who had to give up several port planets. They control the major media outlets, so propaganda has been on their side."

Garrus looked at his glass, though his thoughts were deep elsewhere. "I'm afraid of what could happen if something sparks this powder keg, Shepard. The galaxy is not ready for another war yet."

Shepard didn't need his friend to tell him this. The galaxy was still rebuilding, and derailing that process would have been catastrophic. "Well, Wrex and Eve are coming next week to discuss their plans for expansion. This is all right before the council votes on that major proposal…"

The conversation trailed off for Aleina, who didn't really pay too much attention. Galactic politics didn't interest her, especially when there were more important matters to attend to. She excused herself and wondered over to the bar where Terrik was ordering a drink. "Oh, hey," Aleina greeted him, pretending to have just noticed him.

"Hey Aleina," Terrik greeted her back as he took his drink. "I hear you got in quite the scuffle today."

"Oh, you know about that?" _Dammit._

"Yeah, you know how quick rumor spreads around our school. I'm not really surprised that they didn't discipline you, though."

"Ha, yeah…" Aleina tried to find a way to change the topic. "I'm sure you're used to preferential treatment, too, being the son of two legends yourself." They both shared a good laugh about it and continued talking about anything that came to mind. They had known each other for quite some time, being family friends and all. Although it was not until high school when she discovered she had a slight crush on him.

"At least you don't have an entire species hating your guts," Aleina continued as she ordered a drink.

Terrik looked at her for a moment, then continued to his drink. After a long pause, he responded. "Never make apologies for who you are, Aleina."

"What? I never said that," Aleina said defensively. But she knew he was right. He was always so good at reading people, even someone like her, who always tried to hide her emotions behind a ten foot concrete wall. _Maybe you should be my life counselor instead._

Her train of thought was interrupted when Terrik's phone rang. "Oh sorry, I'll be right back. Ra'ifah is calling me." With that, he left the bar.

_Oh yeah that's right, Ra'ifah, your girlfriend. Ugh._ The bartender poured Aleina's drink, and she downed it in a second.

Why were the good ones always taken?


	3. Mother Daughter Reunion

_This day drags on like an elcor, _Aleina thought as she looked out the window of her classroom with a pained expression. _It's only the start of 2__nd__ period and I still have a massive hangover. I shouldn't have drunk so much fucking champagne last night._ Other students were also sluggishly filing in to the classroom, and she noticed Marcus, that boy from yesterday, had sat down next to her.

"Oh hey," Aleina greeted him. "Anything happen after I left?"

"Those three guys got suspended," Marcus replied. "I think the groundskeeper saw them instigating the whole thing. I don't know why they didn't get flat out expelled though. They could've killed you!"

"It's cause the school is run by a bunch of cowards," Aleina laughed. "They don't want to piss anyone off. The Hegemony officers would have had a field day if they expelled three of their _prized_ students. Besides, those three may be dumb but they're still smart enough to know not to actually kill anyone."

"I guess," Marcus said, his thoughts deep elsewhere. "Hey, I have a confession. I wasn't completely honest with you yesterday."

"Oh?"

"Yeah, it wasn't just coincidence that I followed you out yesterday. I um," he tried to think about how best to express this next part. "Well you see, I've been interested in you for a while now."

Aleina raised her eyebrows. "Well don't get all kinky on me now."

Marcus suddenly blushed and a horrified expression appeared on his face. "NO NO, that's not what I meant…"

"Relax, it's a joke," Aleina said amusingly. "You're not real good at talking to girls, aren't ya?"

Marcus fumbled for words. "Err, what I meant was, well my grandpa used to be a rear admiral in the Alliance. He was killed by a secret organization, though…" he paused for a bit, suddenly very somber. "Anyways, your dad did a lot for our family. He helped us find closure. There was no real way we could ever thank him for what he's done, but I thought if I looked after you and made sure you were always safe, it was the least I could do."

"Hmm, well I don't need anyone to look out for me," Aleina replied, very intrigued. Then she grinned. "But I appreciate the offer!"

The teacher just started class when it was interrupted by a loud explosion. Every student rushed out into the halls to see what the commotion was about. Aleina saw a crowd of students gathered around the chemistry lab, the windows completely shattered. She picked out Jenny in the crowd.

"Hey Jenny!" She called out. "What's going on here?"

"Oh, it's just Urkz and Uzack getting into trouble again." Jenny laughed. Aleina saw her two krogan friends in the lab, the chemistry teacher irate, and did all she could to suppress her laughter. Urdnot Urkz and Uzack were part of the same brood from Eve and Wrex, two of their eldest sons. Eve had them attend school in the Citadel to learn how to be "proper ambassadors to the krogan people" after the two caused more than enough trouble back on Tuchanka. _The day can't end until one of you manage to break something,_ Aleina amusingly thought.

"Chemistry is so stupid. What's the point of mixing all these things together if they're not meant to blow up?" Urkz said with a confused look as the teacher screamed at him.

"I don't know, so many dangerously fun substances in this lab and they waste it on experiments instead of ammunition." Uzack said as he curiously examined the hole in the window. "You aliens are so confusing!"

* * *

_Ugh, finally the day is over_, Aleina thought as she opened the front door to her home, the effects of her hangover just starting to dissipate. "Hey Aryn, I'm gonna nap," she said, hoping to anticipate her sister's ambush again. "Wake me up when it's the weekend."

However, the person greeting her was not who she was expecting.

"Hello, Little Wing." Liara said, legs crossed on the sofa.

Aleina wasn't sure how to respond, still shocked to see her mother staring at her from across the room. Her feelings were mixed and she didn't know how to put them into words. _How long has it been? Three months? Four?_ She felt a surge of emotions surfacing. So many things she wanted to say, but the only word that formed from her lips was "Mother," as she walked into the living room.

"Is that all you have to say to your mother?"

"What am I supposed to do, hug you and cry my eyes out?"

"Well for starters, you could be a bit more polite."

Aleina was ticked off at that comment. "Don't lecture me about being polite. You disappear for months and then just suddenly show up again? The least you could do is vid call us every once in a while, but you don't even do that!"

Liara got up from the sofa and put her hand on Aleina's shoulder. "Look, you know I can't do that. The nature of my work…"

"Oh? And what's so important that keeps you from even saying hi to me and Aryn?"

Liara looked away but didn't answer. How could she possibly understand? She wanted to tell her everything, tell her that everything she does is for her. For a brief moment, Liara felt the urge to confess everything, but quickly regained her usual cool demeanor. "I'm just worried about you," Liara finally said. "Your father told me you were involved in a fight."

"So you come all this way just to lecture me?" Aleina said flatly. "I don't need your help. I can look after myself."

Liara smiled. _She has her father's spirit at least. _"Do you think that you are a tough girl because you beat up some kids?"

"Oh, I'm sure it's not half as exciting as whatever it is you're doing."

"I assure you, Little Wing, I deal with far worse than some teenage punks on a regular basis."

Little Wing. Aleina hated that nickname. "I doubt it, dad says you're a bookworm."

Liara laughed. "That may be true, but I see my fair share of action. I even fight when the occasion calls for it." She saw a doubtful look creep across Aleina's face. "Care for me to prove it to you?"

"What?"

"A demonstration of my skills," Liara continued. "I think it'll be a good bonding moment. Besides, I'm curious as to how far you've come in your biotic training."

Aleina was dumbfounded. "You're joking, right? You want me to _fight_ you?"

"Oh I've never been very good with jokes. I'm serious. Whenever you're ready, Little Wing." Liara said. "Oh err, not in the house, though."

* * *

It was a particularly cloudy day, even for the Presidium. As such, not many people were at the Central Park. The open field in the center of the park would be a perfect place. Liara and Aleina stood on opposite ends of the field.

"You sure you want to do this?" Aleina shouted across the field, half smiling. "I'm not gonna hold back, and I'd hate for dad to ground me because I beat up my own mother."

"Oh I don't expect you to hold back," Liara said. "In fact, I'll even let you have the first shot."

_Is she serious?_ Aleina thought. _Ugh, whatever. If that's what you want, mom, that's what you're gonna get._ Aleina flared up, and a bright blue aura flashed all around her. "Don't say I didn't warn you!"

Aleina charged towards Liara, a blue streak trailing behind her. She pulled back her fist and formed a biotic sphere, then hurled it at her mom with full strength. _The force of that throw was enough to send Kerr flying across the school ground, and he's twice the weight that you are, _Aleina thought. But Liara just stood her ground, not flinching for a second. _What the hell are you doing, mom?! Get out of the way!_

The sphere collided with Liara, resulting in a blinding blue explosion. _Oh…shit_, Aleina thought, horrified at what she had just done. But when the blue-ish dust cleared, Liara was still standing there. She hadn't moved a single inch.

"I must say I'm a little disappointed," Liara taunted. "No wonder the school didn't suspend you. The force of that throw couldn't even harm a toddler."

That really ticked Aleina off. _Ok, that's it_. She flared up another biotic sphere and was about to throw it when suddenly she felt her muscles freeze. Aleina stopped dead in her tracks, unable to move. _What the hell?_ Liara smiled, then motioned her hand in a gently upward. Aleina started to float in midair. Then, with one flick of her wrist, Liara sent Aleina flying back crashing into the thick of some bushes.

"Rule number one of engaging your enemy," Liara said as she walked forward. "Ready your defenses before starting your attack. You really need to work on your barrier."

Aleina got up. _How the hell did she do that? I couldn't even move._ She flared up her biotics once more, then lifted a nearby stone and hurled it at Liara. However, Liara just kept walking forward, and with one slight motion of her hand, threw a biotic warp at the stone, crushing it in midair. Then she flicked her wrist gently upward again and Aleina found herself floating in the air once again. Up and up she she floated.

"I'm going to have a word about this with your father," Liara laughed as Aleina struggled to move high in the air. "He said he taught you self-defense. I guess he's not that great of a teacher." And with that, Liara slightly motioned her hands and the biotic field that was lifting Aleina in the air disappeared. And Aleina came plummeting towards the ground.

Aleina screamed and tried to somehow stop herself from colliding with the ground, but she was falling too fast. She closed her eyes, anticipating the impact, when suddenly she felt a hard pull upwards. She opened her eyes to see she was suspended just inches above the ground, a biotic field surrounding her.

Liara then gently put her daughter back on the ground. She walked up to her and offered Aleina her hand, whose ego was clearly bruised. "Damn, mom, where did you learn to do all that?" Aleina asked as Liara helped her up.

"Oh I may be a bookworm, but I also travelled with your dad when he was off saving the galaxy. I'm hurt he never mentioned that to you."

Liara and Aleina sat down on a nearby bench. "I was your age once, you know." Liara continued. "And I know how hard it is when adults are telling you to do things. When my mother wanted me to follow in her footsteps of being an influential asari, I wanted the exact opposite. That's why I became an archaeologist for a while." The Presidium clouds started to give way as a breeze picked up, and the fake daylight began shining through again.

"I didn't know archaeologists needed to fight," Aleina said.

Liara laughed. "Oh, I'm in a completely different line of work these days." _And I want so badly to share my life with you, but I just can't. It would endanger you and Aryn, and I would not forgive myself if anything happened to you two._

"I know telling you not to fight would just fall on deaf ears," Liara continued. "It's the nature of kids to rebel against their parents. So, instead of trying to stop you, I'll train you to make sure you don't go and hurt yourself."

"Really?"

Liara smiled at her daughter. "Oh, we may still have deep family issues that will take time to resolve. But if blasting each other with biotic spheres is what it takes to work them out then I guess that's not so bad."

Aleina laughed. _Maybe you aren't so bad after all_.

"Besides," Liara continued. "I can't let you fight as you are right now. Your skills are atrocious."

_And…it's gone._ Aleina thought. But she knew her mom was right. She hated when adults were right.


	4. Mounting Tension

The spores being released from the exotic Dekuuna plants in Central Park had to be causing people to go crazy. Aleina was sure of it. Because her mother's request seemed insane.

"You want me to unroot the tree? That is insane, even by your standards, mom."

Liara had a stern look on her face. "That's a _very_ small tree."

Aleina scowled. The tree wasn't too big; approximately twenty feet in height. The problem was unearthing the thing. Aleina had been training with Liara for almost a month, now, and she never ran out of strange and difficult tasks. Her mother was far more strict than her other biotic tutors. She eventually dropped all of them to meet her mother everyday afterschool in Central Park.

Aleina focused her energy on the tree and tried to pull it upwards. A biotic field surrounded the tree, and the branches rustled vigorously. Aleina strained from the effort, but the tree did not budge. She flared up and tried again with much more force, and several branches severed. However, the tree itself still did not move.

"You're focusing too much on the tree," Liara critiqued her daughter.

"What are you talking about? What else am I supposed to focus on?"

"If you concentrate all your efforts on the tree, it's not going to move," Liara said. "The tree isn't going to move by itself. Rather, you have to look at the bigger picture. The roots run deep into the ground. The soil, the rocks holding the roots in place, even the air above pushing down…these are part of the greater obstacle. Everything is connected."

_That does make sense actually,_ Aleina thought. She calmed herself down and tried again, this time spreading her focus to everything around the tree. As she concentrated more and more, she could feel the moistness of the soil, the movement of the little insects crawling around the roots, and the wind weaving through the branches. Very slowly, she began to part the soil and the rocks holding the roots down as well as pushing the tree upward. Gently, she lifted. The tree began to slowly pull the ground along with it. Aleina laughed in delight as the tree seemed to start levitating with the roots still connected to the ground.

"Very impressive!" The asari who came up to compliment her was not her mother.

Aleina gently put the tree down and turned to see who it was. The asari who approached was much older, at least over 1000 years old. She was dressed in regal white clothing. Aleina could instantly feel her presence, both majestic and intimidating, as she walked closer, almost as if her own biotics were being influenced by the old asari.

"Matriarch Corinth! What a surprise to see you here!" Liara greeted the asari.

"Yes, it's been quite some time Liara. We haven't spoken since your mother's passing," Corinth smiled and turned to Aleina. "It's nice to see you again, Aleina, and a pleasure to see your biotics in action! You have taken to your mother quite well."

"Err, have we met before?" Aleina asked.

Corinth seemed confused. "We met at the ambassador's dinner a month ago, remember? I was a friend of your grandmother."

_Nope, don't remember,_ Aleina thought. _I don't remember much from that night…_

"I'm also directing your school trip this year?" Corinth continued.

That jogged Aleina's memory. Every year her high school takes a school trip near the end of the school year as a cultural exchange program. This year they were heading to the Hanar homeworld. _Cultural exchange is just an excuse for an entire week of fun in an underwater resort. Literally the only thing I'm looking forward to this year. I probably shouldn't piss her off then. _"Oh yes, I remember now! It's a pleasure, Matriarch Corinth."

"Yes, I am looking forward to the trip, as I'm sure you are. The school board honored me with quite an opportunity. It will be a great chance for all of us to learn more about the Hanar culture." Corinth marveled at the slightly uprooted tree. "You truly are a gifted child. Such biotic displays are often only shown by students in formal biotic training programs."

Aleina grinned. "Oh stop. It's only because I have such an amazing teacher!" Liara rolled her eyes at the attempted flattery.

"Give yourself some credit, Aleina," Corinth said. "I can sense something extraordinary within you. You have a potential yet to be unlocked."

"What are you talking about?"

Matriarch Corinth held out her hand, and a blue aura appeared around her. Aleina suddenly felt her own biotics flaring up, although she was not controlling it. _What the hell? How is she doing that?_

"I've spent centuries honing my biotic awareness," Corinth said. Her aura and Aleina's continued to flare in unison. "I can even latch my biotics to yours and draw out your power. It's quite fascinating to feel what you hold inside. Your power is like an egg waiting to be hatched." She then allowed her aura to fade, and Aleina's also died down. _Well that was weird,_ Aleina thought.

"I'm sure if you continue on this course you will reach that potential. This could become crucial, as dangers could come from anywhere these days. Being the daughter of two famous individuals, you should definitely watch yourself."

Liara stepped in. "What do you mean by that?"

Corinth smiled. "I meant nothing by it, Liara. It's just that…"

"Yes?"

"Well, we both know your husband is not making any friends these days. His ardent support of the krogan expansion-"

Liara was very annoyed. "What Shepard does in the council is strictly part of his role as a councilor," she said sternly. "He is doing what he believes is best for this galaxy."

"I understand that," Corinth replied. "although things are a lot more complex than that, as I'm sure you know. Sure, we are all grateful for everything he has done, Liara, but-"

"He has sacrificed more than you know," Liara coldly said. Aleina had never seen her mother lose her cool before, but that seemed a possibility at the moment.

Matriarch Corinth sensed Liara's anger building and tried to calm her down. "I did not mean to offend, Liara. Indeed, Shepard still has many supporters across the galaxy. But you know his actions are threatening the wealth and power of some very important people."

She looked Liara straight in the eyes and continued. "I was a close friend of your mother, so I feel obligated to tell you this. Even some of the other matriarchs are feeling threatened right now. Krogan expansion is out of control and the only reason Shepard supports them is because he has close ties to their leader. It's true that every person in this galaxy should be eternally grateful to Shepard. But people have short memories when their own power is at risk. Who do you think they will side with when the tension breaks?"

Liara said nothing but she knew very well what Corinth was saying. Her own agents had reported discontent growing among the political elites with how policies were handled in the council. It was only her emotions that made back Shepard so absolutely. Even if it meant choosing between him or peace.

Corinth turned to Aleina and smiled. "Well, I hope this didn't cause any discomfort to you, dear. I would love to take you out to lunch sometime. I see a lot of Benezia in you as well, and I think it would be good for us to get to know each other."

"Well, who am I to turn down free food," Aleina said. She saw that Liara was slightly annoyed at her taking up the matriarch's offer.

"I must be going now," Corinth said. "But I will see you again soon. Until next time." With that, she walked away.

Aleina wasn't exactly sure what just happened there. Her mother seemed to regain her composure. _Anything that sets mom off must be serious_, she thought.

* * *

Viper walked toward the wounded salarian scientist on the ground, a trail of dead guards behind him.

"I will ask again. How do you shut down the security system?" He dragged the scientist up by the collar. "Tell me and I won't throw you out the airlock."

"Alright, please here are the passcodes! Please…" The panicked scientist handed Viper a datapad.

Viper examined it and seemed content. "Very well, you kept your word. So, I'll keep mine." He then shot the salarian between the eyes. The salarian fell to the ground, instantly dead. Three mercenaries, a human, turian and batarian, approached.

"Price, here are the passcodes to shut down the security in the lab. Once you disable it, the doors should unlock," Viper said as he wiped the blood off his uniform. "Secure the geth jammer and bring it back to the ship. And hurry up; the Alliance will be here soon."

Price, the human mercenary, was clearly ticked off by the drell issuing orders to him. "Listen here, green boy, we'll do it when we're bloody well ready," he said as he pressed his middle finger into Viper's chest. "We weren't hired by you, so we damn sure aren't going to take orders from you."

Viper did not flinch. "If you wish to continue to have use of that finger, you will not do that again."

Price amusingly pressed his finger into Viper's chest again. "I do whatever I-"

The next thing he knew, Price was flat on his back, his finger cracked back. He screamed in pain. Viper somehow now held both his own pistol and Price's and pointed it at the other two mercenaries, both of whom threw their hands in the air.

"I believe the matter of who hired you is irrelevant when you are staring down the barrel of a gun," Viper said as he pointed both guns now to Price's head. "I trust there will be no more questions about the chain of command?"

Price, still in pain, gave a reluctant nod. Viper holstered the guns and dropped the datapad on his chest. Price's two comrades helped him up, and he walked off, muttering threats as he proceeded to bypass the lab's security. Viper typed something into his omni-tool, and a hologram of Felixia appeared next to him.

"Very impressive handiwork" the asari said. "I can tell you are man who enjoys your work."

"I think you are mistaken. This is business to me. I don't regret the kills I make, nor do I receive enjoyment from them."

"You drell are all so business like. However, I think you're lying." Felixia smiled. "I have sucked away the powers of many individuals for centuries now. Each time, however, their powers aren't the only thing I gain. I absorb their inner essence. Parts of their memories, their personalities…they become part of me. And do you know the one thing I find in common with each?"

Viper lighted a cigarette and remained silent, though he was intrigued by what Felixia had to say.

"Every person, if you dig deep enough, has a sadistic side and the capacity to enjoy killing. That includes you and me," Felixia continued, reflecting on her memories. "It's in the nature of every single being. I remember the first life I took, how I was shaking from adrenaline…" She marveled at the trail of bodies that laid about them. "At first I thought it was fear I felt. I now know that it was _excitement._"

Several more mercenaries arrived now, bringing with them special equipment to lift the massive geth jammer in the lab. Viper smoked his cigarette, and watched them work.

"Our alliance with the Banking Confederation is proving most useful," Viper finally said after they secured the massive device. "What are your plans for the girl?"

"I've arranged a test for her. I hear she's been training with the Shadow Broker for the past month now."

"Do you really think that is necessary?"

"I see it as a win-win. If my men succeed, then we accelerate our plans and you don't even have to get your hands dirty. Though I am hoping she overcomes this. It would be a disappointment to see her go down without a fight."


End file.
